A Dong Nai court has sentenced six defendants from 12-30 months in jail for causing public nuisance that led to an anti-China riot in May.

The Bien Hoa Town People’s Court sentenced Nguyen Tuan Vu to two and a half years in jail, Nguyen Van Son to two years, Phan Van Loc and Dang Cong Minh to one year and a half each and Le Thanh Son and Do Van Tu to one year each.

According to the indictment, many workers in Dong Nai joined a demonstration on May 13, 2014 to protest China’s illegal placement of a giant mobile oil rig in Vietnamese waters earlier of the month.

At the trial, Vu said a strange man gave him the money and asking him to “demonstrate to chase the Chinese people back to their country” at around 8:30 a.m. on May 14.

He asked Loc to join in a mob of around 1,000 people, bringing bricks and tubes to destroy property of a company in the Vietnam – Singapore Industrial Park in Binh Duong Province.

About an hour later, the duo went back to Amata Industrial Park to continue their vandalism.

“There were three people leading the group to come to Amata Industrial Park and a strange man gave me an iron tube,” Vu said.

On the same day, [Nguyen Van] Son carried Minh on a motorbike to join a group of about 600 people to damage property of companies in the Loteco and Bien Hoa 2 Industrial Park. These companies include, Seorim, Three Brothers, Tainan, Vinapoly and Dai Viet.

Meanwhile, [Le Thanh] Son and Tu were found joining a group of about 100 people to vandalize companies at the Bien Hoa 2 Industrial Park.

The duo also provoked others to join their vandalism at the Tainan Company and Taiwan Business Association.

All six defendants admitted to their crime and asking for lenient punishment.

Regarding compensation to the damaged company, the court said it would try it in a separate case if being requested because relevant damages were caused by many people and have not been evaluated.

At a press briefing on December 1, Huynh Van Luu, head judge of Dong Nai People’s Court, said several foreign newspapers and televisions asked through their diplomatic agencies for attending the trial and their requests were accepted.

However, the open trial has seen no foreign reporters.

The trial was the most recent case related to the May riots that broke out in several provinces, including Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Ha Tinh, following China's incursion into Vietnamese waters.